THE African Democratic Congress (ADC) has called on President Bola Tinubu to fully confront the economic challenges facing Nigerians instead of “cherry-picking” comments made by World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to score political points.
The party said the Federal Government was wrong to focus solely on Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s observation that Nigeria’s economy had “stabilized,” while ignoring her equally crucial warning that stabilization alone is insufficient without growth, job creation, and social safety nets for struggling citizens.
In a statement on Saturday signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC accused the Tinubu administration of seeking “external validation” rather than taking responsibility for policies that have worsened living conditions.
“Dr. Okonjo-Iweala knows that a stable economy is one that is growing in real terms, led by jobs and productivity. She knows that a stable economy is one that is able to guarantee minimum standards of living for the people,” Abdullahi said.
“What she’s really saying, which the government has chosen to ignore, is that the economy is not growing, jobs are not being created, and too many people are suffering as a direct consequence of President Tinubu’s ill-conceived and badly implemented reforms.”
The ADC cited data to back its criticism, noting that Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 3.13 percent in the first quarter of 2025 and just above 3 percent in the second quarter, figures it described as unimpressive compared to the administration’s promises of strong recovery.
It added that inflation stood at 22.22 percent in June 2025, with food inflation at 21.97 percent, while petrol prices averaged N1,037.66 per litre, and the naira traded at about N1,530 to the dollar.
“These numbers are not abstract, they translate directly into hunger, joblessness, and despair for millions of Nigerians. The Tinubu administration’s policy choices, fuel subsidy removal, naira devaluation, tariff hikes on electricity and transport have unleashed untold hardship.
“Social safety nets are not optional under such conditions, yet those programs have been haphazard, suspended, or had negligible impact,” the ADC spokesman stressed.
The party also pointed to Dr. Okonjo-Iweala’s recent social media clarification where she emphasized that while Nigeria had achieved a degree of macroeconomic stabilization, urgent steps were still required to “grow the economy, create more jobs, and put money in people’s pockets.”
According to Abdullahi, ignoring that part of her message and celebrating only the superficial aspects amounts to “propaganda economics.”
“Every well-meaning Nigerian knows that celebrating the mere appearance of ‘stability’ is pyrrhic. The ADC strongly believes such candour from a global economic leader like Dr. Okonjo-Iweala underscores the urgent need for federal government policies that go beyond rhetoric and propaganda but address the daily harsh realities of millions of Nigerians under the APC,” the statement concluded.
